It Takes Two
by webbswoman
Summary: I wrote this songfic for a challenge over on treasuregeeks. It's slash. The song is by Chris Cagle.


**It Takes Two**

Ben opened the door to the apartment that he shared with Riley and headed into the kitchen, frowning when he saw the mess that greeted him. There was a huge pile of dirty dishes next to the sink, the bench was covered in flour and other ingredients, and there was a distinct smell of burning. Throwing his keys down onto the kitchen table Ben hurried over to the oven and opened it, revealing the burnt remains of some fairy cakes. Ben shook his head and emptied the fairy cakes into the bin, opening the windows to air the place out. Then he slumped into one of the chairs at the table and ran his fingers through his hair. He knew who the cause of the mess was, Riley. Sometimes living with Riley was like looking after a child, and Ben sometimes found himself wondering just why he stayed with the young computer expert. Life had been so much easier with Abby.

_Sometimes you make me so crazy I wanna turn and go  
_

Ben shook his head, feeling guilty, he had known what Riley was like when they had first become lovers, and deep down he knew that he loved every part of Riley, especially the little imperfections that made him who he was. Standing up, he shouted Riley's name, hoping to locate his young lover.

_Then you drive me wild and it makes me want to stay  
_

Ben froze in the doorway to the living room, which had been so tidy when he had left the house that morning. Scraps of card and paper covered the floor, a pot of glue had fallen onto its side and the gloopy substance had already dried into the carpet, the _new_ carpet. Ben turned away, unable to look and began to search the rest of the apartment for the source of the disorder.

_And sometimes it feels like I'm walking down a rocky road  
_

He found Riley in their bedroom, curled up under the covers and sound asleep. Ben couldn't resist, slipping his shoes off he slipped into the bed next to Riley, smiling as the younger man opened his eyes, smiled indulgently and snuggled into him.

_Just to fall in your arms at the end of the day_

You ain't perfect, but your perfect for a man like me  
And I know that I'm not the man that I'm supposed to be  


However the moment didn't last, Riley turned around slightly and Ben got a better glimpse of his flour covered face. He jumped out of the bed, scowling as he realised that Riley's clothes had been covered in the flour too.

"Hi Ben, what's wrong?" Riley didn't seem to know what he had done wrong, and Ben shot him an annoyed look.

"Riley, you could have burnt the whole apartment down, the new carpet is ruined, and the whole apartment's a mess. The bed covers are ruined, you've covered me in flour and you have the nerve to ask me what's wrong."Ben stopped shouting, panting slightly. Riley sat up in the bed, a hurt expression on his face, and then he pushed himself off the bed and walked out into the living room. Ben followed, intending to lecture Riley on the importance of acting like an adult. Riley looked around the room, biting his lip nervously. Then he turned back to face his lover.

"I'm sorry Ben, I was just trying to do something nice, I was going to take the fairy cakes to the new family down the hall as a welcome gift. And then Abby and the kids came around, and they were making pictures and things. By the time they left I was so exhausted, I just forgot that I was covered in flour. I didn't mean for any of it to happen." Riley looked down, crestfallen and Ben immediately felt guilty. He knew how insecure Riley was, and yet he had still shouted at him.

"It's okay, I'm sorry too, for shouting at you, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, I know you wouldn't deliberately make a mess." Ben took Riley in his arms, kissing him on the top of his head. "You want to help to me clear up?" Riley nodded into Ben's chest and they set to work, stealing kisses every time their paths crossed. Finally they had the apartment looking as close to normal as they were going to get it.

Ben flopped down onto the couch, smiling as Riley looked at him with puppy dog eyes. Reaching out, he pulled Riley down on top of him and wrapped his arms around him securely. Riley rested his head on Ben's shoulder and they lay like that for the rest of the night, glad that they were still talking to each other. Riley was the first to fall asleep, but Ben only lasted a little longer before dropping off himself.

_  
But it's gonna take faith  
It's gonna take trust  
It's gonna take everything we've got  
Even when we know it won't be enough  
It's gonna take hope  
We even need a little luck  
And if anybody tells us we can make it on our own  
It ain't true  
Oh 'cause baby it takes two_

Ben spent the next week away at a seminar, talking to Riley on the phone as often as possible, knowing that the computer expert was feeling slightly neglected. Because of this knowledge he didn't stop to rest on the journey home, he wanted to make up for all the things he'd been doing wrong recently.

_  
Yeah sometimes my work and the world get the best of me  
Then I come home and try to give you what's left of me  
_

When he arrived home at his apartment he didn't understand what was going on. The apartment had obviously been tidied, a rug covered the stain that had been left by the glue, and a line of roses lead the way into the bedroom. Ben gasped at the sight that greeted him; Riley was lying totally naked on the bed, a finger trailing lazily over his chest, rose petals were scattered all over the floor and a parcel was lying on the dresser.

"Why?" Even as the word left Ben's mouth he knew it had been the wrong thing to say, Riley's expression went from turned on to devastated. He sat up, grabbed his dressing gown from the chair next to their bed and pulled it on.

"What do you mean, why?" Riley shot him an accusing look, then stood up, walking towards him.

"I mean, why all this, what's it for?" The look on Riley's face worsened, and Ben's heart sank.

"If you must know, it's six months since we first kissed. Obviously that isn't important to you." Riley left the room, tears threatening to fall from his eyes and Ben sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. Ben knew how important the little things were to Riley, the computer expert had not had much experience of love or of family as a child, and this meant that gestures now were all the more important to him. Ben knew that he hadn't been paying much attention to Riley recently, and forgetting their six month anniversary must have been the last straw for Riley.

_And sometimes you wonder if I'm even listening  
And I hate how it hurts you when I forget the little things_

Riley was wearing only a dressing gown, so Ben knew that he hadn't left the apartment. Pushing himself up off the bed he went in search of his lover, hoping that he would be able to make things right.

He found him in the living room; curled up on the sofa, as Ben walked towards him he stretched out his legs, making it clear that he didn't want Ben next to him. Ben crouched down on the floor in front of him anyway.

"Riley?" Riley turned away, "Ri, I'm so sorry, I didn't realise, let me make it up to you." Riley shook his head, and turned back to face him.

"Ben, there's not really anything you can do to make up for it. But I don't want us to fall out over it either. I guess I should be grateful, the worst you've done is forget an anniversary that I'm pretty sure doesn't even exist. Consider it forgotten."

Ben reached out to touch Riley's cheek, and then pulled him forwards into a deep kiss.

"I don't deserve you, you know that?"__

I'm not perfect, but for you I'll do the best I can  
'Cause without you I'll never be more than just another lonely man

But it's gonna take faith  
It's gonna take trust  
It's gonna take everything we've got  
Even when we know it won't be enough  
It's gonna take hope  
We even need a little luck  
And if anybody tells us we can make it on our own  
It ain't true  
Oh 'cause baby it takes two

Riley sat up to allow Ben to slip onto the sofa behind him, and then he laid his head onto Ben's chest.

"No Ben, I'm lucky to have you, everyone forgets things now and then. If I didn't have you, I don't know what I'd do." Ben placed a kiss on the top of Riley's head.

"Riley, you'll always have me, no matter what."

"Yeah, I know, the two of us together forever and all of that mushy stuff." Riley turned himself around so that he was facing Ben; capturing his mouth in another kiss, when they pulled apart Ben traced his thumb gently over Riley's lips.

"Ri, I wouldn't have it any other way."

_I don't wanna walk alone now baby  
I know I can't make it on my own baby  
Even though sometimes you make me so crazy  
I know together we can make it_

But it's gonna take faith  
It's gonna take trust  
It's gonna take everything we've got  
Even when we know it won't be enough  


_It's gonna take hope  
We even need a little luck  
And if anybody tells us we can make it on our own  
It ain't true  
Oh 'cause baby it takes two_


End file.
